1
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to complicate
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to mistake
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confuse
Hence, Nicole left the party, despondent at having been rejected and confused at the cold reception.
—
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Pack said the fact that D'Amato changed his name could be seen as another attempt to distance himself from his past and confuse the process.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
In short, imitation learning can rapidly teach a model to mimic the behaviors in its training data, but the model will easily get confused in unfamiliar environments.
—ArsTechnica, 7 July 2025
The man is Jack Ryan, not to be confused with the Jack Ryan dreamed up by Tom Clancy.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Pack said the fact that D'Amato changed his name could be seen as another attempt to distance himself from his past and confuse the process.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
In short, imitation learning can rapidly teach a model to mimic the behaviors in its training data, but the model will easily get confused in unfamiliar environments.
—ArsTechnica, 7 July 2025
The man is Jack Ryan, not to be confused with the Jack Ryan dreamed up by Tom Clancy.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Verb
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Lynskey says she’s been bewildered by the fans who’ve directed online vitriol at Shauna this season, while seemingly forgiving the sins of Shauna’s husband Jeff (Warren Cole) and the heinous crimes committed by Misty (Christina Ricci).—
Todd Longwell,
Variety,
2 June 2025
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Both were bewildered by this fashion design travesty.—
Sherry Kuehl,
Kansas City Star,
13 May 2025
Verb
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The case presents a unique test of NIL outside the college sports landscape and in a setting where a player contract and collective bargaining agreements complicate the situation.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
7 July 2025
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This exhaustive scientific work is complicated by ongoing legal and ethical concerns.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
6 July 2025
Verb
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Color can play a role in bringing wasps to the yard since wasps may mistake it for food sources such as flowers.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
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Maier, who was heading out of town that weekend for a meeting of the National League of Cities, saw the foot-long shillelagh and, according to a Milwaukee Sentinel story by Marta Bender, mistook it for a pipe.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
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SoCal embarrassed the Jekyll & Hyde Utah team, who were flying how but who lose easily to the near-last place Hard Eights for their only win of the weekend.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Such an attack might embarrass Trump and spur him to make good on his threat in his address to the nation on Saturday evening to respond to Iran with even greater force.—
Uri Friedman,
The Atlantic,
23 June 2025
Verb
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The industry’s year of strikes in 2023 also disrupted the flow of Hollywood movie releases to the local multiplex.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
11 July 2025
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Frequent use can disrupt normal bowel function and lead to laxative dependence or chronic constipation.7 Only use castor oil under medical guidance.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Through the years, dozens of actresses have portrayed Superman's love interest and confidante Lois Lane, an award-winning reporter both perplexed and entranced by the man also (secretly) known as Clark Kent.—
Grace Gavilanes,
People.com,
11 July 2025
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The aftermath What perplexes her, Nicole Fech said, is that Anderson went out of her way to call the camp a year and a half after the family left the church.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
Verb
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This Calvin Klein moment, both distinct and historic, is yet another example of how Beyoncé continues to break boundaries, blurring the lines between performance, fashion, and cultural impact.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
11 July 2025
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Faced with a series of deadly family secrets, Lowen struggles to separate fiction from reality, while also blurring the lines with Verity’s husband, Jeremy (Hartnett).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Siegemund, 37, plays an unorthodox style of tennis that can leave opponents flustered.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
8 July 2025
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Golden State forced Clark into deep 3-point jumpers and flustered the visiting team with tenacious defense in the paint.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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